Rhetorical Analysis on Barack Obama's Grant Park Victory Speech

Since the establishment of democratic governments, delivery of acceptance speeches by those elected into office has become a great way of getting in touch with the electorates. Barrack Obamas Grant Park Victory Speech which was made by Barrack Obama is one such speech. The speech was made by Obama after he was elected for his first term as the American president. The speech which was published on the ABC News website covers Obamas appreciation of American citizens decision to elect him as their president. Essentially Obama communicates his message of hope and transformation in America by fixing social and economic challenges bedeviling the country. In addition to that, he expresses optimism regarding the future and unity of USA and pledges to deliver on his campaign promises. Through his speech, Obama manages to inspire hope among the audience through the application of pathos, ethos, and logos.

Throughout the speech, Obama appeals to ethos by incorporating statements which improve his credibility. For instance, Obama appears to have memorized his entire speech. In other words, he does not refer to any documents or notes during the presentation. The ability to memorize his entire speech, in this case, improves its credibility. It shows that Obama was well prepared and organized to deliver to address his supporters. Further, the preparation heightens his on-stage confidence as he is able to highlight all important factors regarding his election. Obama also appeals to ethos through the use of words and phrases such as we the people and we will defeat you throughout his speech (ABC News, 2008). The incorporation of such words into his speech helps him make the audience to feel involved in the whole process of nation-building. It makes the audience to develop the perception that they are in charge of the nations destiny. Obama also mentions the word president in his statement as a way of improving his credibility: there are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President (ABC News, 2008). By referring to himself as the president Obama was identifying with the highest political position in the world- that of being the political leader of America. American presidents are some of the most powerful individuals on earth and as such any information they provide is presumed to be credible.

Apart from the use of ethos, Obama also utilizes strong appeals to logos as reflected by the numerous facts included in the speech. Logos, in this case, entails the facts, statistics, and surveys which are used to validate information being provided. In the speech, Obama refers to the high electricity costs, unemployment, loss of housing and failing education system. The mentioning of these facts highlights the existence of a crisis in the countries socio-economic and political environment which evokes emotional reactions from the audience. The evidence of a failing nation is a serious issue which should be taken into consideration by all concerned stakeholders. The highlighting of these issues not only attracts the audiences attention but also jolts them to develop solutions for the said problems.

In addition to the utilization of logos, Obama employs compelling appeals to pathos. Towards the end of the speech, Obama mentions the story of Ann Nixon Cooper, a 106-year old woman who has been present throughout major historical moments of America. Obama states She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin (ABC News, 2008). The description of when the Ann was born and how she could not take part in democratic exercise such as voting helps to invoke the audience emotion. In other words, it sparks the audiences emotion and makes them connect to the speech. Consequently enhances the audiences capability to identify with the speech. The fact that Ann has lived to experience the changes in the countrys social economic landscape gives hope to the audience that they can live to witness changes in the future. In addition to that, the first paragraph of the speech provides answers to those who may doubt Americas resilience. In providing the answer, Obama mentions the contributions of the American citizens: It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours (ABC News, 2008). The description evokes feelings of pride in the audience. Further, it makes the audience to feel involved in the nation-building exercise.

Obama succeeds in delivering his acceptance speech as evidenced in the above instances. Specifically, the incorporation of rhetorical devices such as pathos, logos, and ethos evokes emotions of the audience which makes them identify with the speech. In addition, the audience is made aware of the serious challenges affecting the country courtesy of the numerous facts and statistics mentioned in the speech. In other words, it enables Obama to connect with audience hence making them feel involved in the determination of Americas future.

Reference

ABC News, (2008). Full Transcript: Sen. Barack Obama's Victory Speech. ABC NEWS. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=6181477&page=1